


Illusions

by AgentLin



Series: Self-Insert Stories [9]
Category: Gotham (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-02
Updated: 2017-06-20
Packaged: 2018-04-24 09:03:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 7,361
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4913395
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AgentLin/pseuds/AgentLin
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A small little drabble of Jerome Valeska/the reader (she/her pronoun) inspired by his insanity.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

    Jerome was running down the street as he laughed and fired a gun into the air. He had placed a bomb in the middle of downtown but of course it had been defused before it could go off. No matter, all the panic, all the chaos was good enough for him…at the moment. There was a getaway car waiting for him not far from where the bomb had been set, now all he had to do was get there.

    The only problem was now he was being chased. He had Detective Gordon and Bullock on his tale with a few swat team members. He ended up being cornered in a warehouse before he could get to his extraction point. He was surrounded and multiple little red dots decorated his shirt. Gordon was in front of him aiming his gun at Jerome with Bullock at his side. Jerome did the same, aiming his own gun at the detectives moving from one to the other.

“Give it up, Jerome. You’re surrounded, it’s over.” Jim said.

    Jerome only laughed and kept his gun trained on them. 

“This is not over detective. This is only the beginning but right now this isn’t about you and me.”

    He pulled out a phone and smiled as he stared at the screen. To Jim’s surprised he actually looked happy and if possible he looked at the screen…lovingly. There was something different in his eyes, a look of endearment, of care.

“It’s about her.”

    Jerome threw the phone at Jim’s feet. Jim slowly bent down for it but still kept his gun on the boy. When he picked up the phone he hit the home button and the lock screen light up. On it was a picture of Jerome holding a girl in his arms, except the girl didn’t look so happy. The girl next to him in the picture was gripping his shirt and her eyes were red and puffy filled with terror. It was obvious she had been crying and screaming for hours. She looked so scared and fragile in Jerome’s arms. He had a hostage and Jim knew who it was.

“Y/n.” He mumbled.

    A few days after six criminals were broken out of Arkham Asylum she went missing. Jim had hoped it had nothing to do with the escaped convicts but he was wrong.

“Where is she, Jerome?” Jim asked.

“She’s just hanging around somewhere. Chained up of course, can’t have her running off now. She’s also gagged, you know so she won’t have the urge to scream and damage her voice. But honestly she’s just waiting for me to get back and give her something to eat. Isn’t she just the cutest thing you’ve ever seen.” Jerome spoke of her so fondly.

    He was really making it look like he cared about her. But Jim knew the truth, she was just a pawn, Jerome’s bargaining chip.

“You can arrest me and take me in detective.” Jerome said. “But I won’t tell you where y/n is, she’s  _ mine _ . And you’ll never find her, well maybe you will since her body will eventually start to smell, you know decomposition and such.”

“Don’t do this Jerome. She has nothing to do with this. She’s just an innocent civilian.” Jim said.

“Is that what you think?” Jerome questioned, but then laughed. “If you take me in, take me away from her, she’ll die. You hold her life in your hands…well I hold her life but what you decided to do right now decides whether she gets to live or die.” 

    Jerome held his hands out to Jim as if he was going to be cuffed. Jim was still thinking cause he knew Jerome would never give up the girls location. Well he wouldn’t give it up in time to save her. But before Jim could even come close to a decision Jerome made another move.

“On second thought I don’t want to go to jail.” Jerome turned the gun on himself then laughed again. “So if you try to arrest me, if you try anything I will shoot myself and then you really won’t have any chance of saving her. Y/n is mine now, my girl to protect and take care of. If I die she dies with me. So what’s it going to be detective?” The boy had a devilish grin on his face for he knew he was creating a dilemma for Jim. “Will you let me walk out of here as a free man, with no one following me. Or will I shoot myself, leaving y/n to die a slow and painful death, a death that will be on your hands.”

    There really wasn’t much of a choice for the detective. He wasn’t gonna let someone die because a criminal was apprehended. He hated the idea of letting Jerome walk free but he knew that as long as he was out there the girl would live. She’d live in terror but she’d live, until the the GCPD could find her and save her. Jim lowered his gun.

“Lower your weapons.” He ordered.

“Jim, what are you doing?” Bullock asked.

“I’m not gonna let some girl die this way. As long as Jerome is free she lives.”

“Right on detective.” Jerome taunted.

“Get out of here. No one will follow you Jerome, you have my word.”

    Jerome smirked and calmly walked out of the warehouse. His laugh echoed in the room as he left.

“We’ll find her.” Jim assured. “I know we will.”

**♠♦♥♣**

**_Elsewhere…_ **

    Jerome was so smug as he had walked out of that warehouse and got into his ride. The next thing he had to do was get back to Theo but he had something else to do first. He gave his driver instructions to go on a little detour to pick something up. It didn’t take long to get there. He told his driver to wait and that he’d be back soon.

    The place was remote and near the outskirts of Gotham. He went into an old abandoned house that was around. The place used to be some kind of farm or whatever. He went to the back of the house and into the basement. As he went down the stairs he heard the shuffling of footsteps. In the basement there was a table with an empty plate and multiple empty water bottles.

“Y/n?” Jerome called out. “It’s just me, I’m not gonna hurt you.”

    She slowly creeped into the main room and walked over to Jerome. She was shivering and slightly whimpering. Jerome slowly approached her and carefully reached out to touch her. He was gentle and wrapped his arms around her. He took her into his arms and rocked her back and forth. She cried but held onto him. Her hands gripped his shirt and she buried her face into his chest.

“Don’t worry it’s just me. I’m not going to hurt you.” He repeated. “I’m sorry I was gone for so long, something came up but it’s going to be okay now.”

    Nobody knew the truth about her. The GCPD may think she’s just some innocent girl but she’s not, she’s a victim. A few nights ago as Jerome had been wandering the empty streets he had heard some screams and cries for help. He only followed them to see what was going on but he found her instead. She had been out with her boyfriend and when he saw them the guy was beating her.

The girl was so beautiful and he was enraged that the man had the nerve to damage such a pretty thing. So he acted, got involved in the fight and killed the guy then he took the girl. She’d been in a relationship with that jerk for months and he was always abusing her. All the bruises, cuts and scars on her body were from him, Jerome had not cause this girl any harm and he had no intentions to. She was his now and he would look after her, he will take care of her, better than that boyfriend or her family ever would.

“I’m going to take you somewhere really safe, where no one will ever hurt you again.”

    She looked up at him with pleading eyes. She didn’t really know who Jerome was, all she did know was that he was her savior. As she tried to calm her sobs she nodded her head. Jerome helped her up to her feet and took her outside. He helped her get into the car but then went back inside the house. He left a little message for the GCPD to find cause eventually they’d end up there and realize they were too late. 


	2. Chapter 2

    In order to keep suspicion off himself Theo had a place for his manixs to stay in. He would be there often but most of the time it was his sister. Theo was present when Jerome showed up with y/n. He seemed quiet intrigued about the boy bringing in a girl but he didn’t say anything and just let it be.

    At first Jerome was very protective of her. He wouldn’t really let anyone talk with her or even be around her. For most of the time he’d keep her all to himself. She’d spend her days in his room alone waiting on Jerome but eventually he became more lenient.

    Y/n and Barbara got along well but even she was weary of the other guys. It was good for her to be more social but Jerome didn’t like the other guys trying anything on her. She was still delicate to certain situations and Jerome was very serious in protecting her when things got bad.

    Such as on one occasion when Robert got mad at her. He had been trying to talk with y/n but she was avoiding and ignoring him. He wasn’t happy about that and lashed out at her. He grabbed her and  threw against the floor. Robert yelled and screamed at her while insulting her.

    His actions scared her so she curled herself up into a ball and started crying. Jerome may have only heard y/n’s cry and screams once but he would recognize them in an instance. He was in the dining room when he heard that and without another moment to lose he ran into the other room.

    When Jerome came in the room Robert was standing above her. Before Robert may have been saying Jerome wasn’t as dangerous but when you bring out his anger he’s deadly. He grabbed Robert and turned him around. Before Robert even realized anything Jerome punched him in the face.

    Robert fell to the floor spitting out blood. Then Jerome was on top of him. The boy had grabbed a knife before making his entrance and now he had it against the other man’s throat.

“Stop yelling.” He whispered sharply. “Shut up or I will cut out your tongue.”

With the shouting gone Jerome could hear y/n’s sobs and whimpers of ‘sorry’ over and over again. He knew what Robert had done, his yelling had brought back bad memories of previous abuse and he would not have that. He would not have  _ anyone _ breaking his little angel.

“If you ever yell at  _ my _ y/n again I will kill you. If you think I won’t or that I can’t I want you to remember this.”

Robert opened his mouth to speak but Jerome pressed the blade against his neck till it drew blood.

“I  _ can _ kill you, don’t forget that.”

    Jerome was staring straight into Robert’s eyes and saw that he got the message. He slowly moved the blade away and got off of him. Then he put the knife on the nearby table. Y/n was still sobbing and apologizing for whatever she thought she had done wrong.

“Sweetie it’s okay you didn’t do anything wrong.”

    He got down and gently touched her. He didn’t want to upset her more, all he wanted was for her to calm down and slowly come to realize that she’s safe. It worked, bit by bit she stopped crying and looked at Jerome.

“I’m not gonna hurt you.” He assured her. “Come on, I’m let’s get you a nice bath and something to eat.”

    She only nodded her head as Jerome helped her to her feet. He glared at Robert but the guy backed off. Nothing like that ever happened again as the rest of the gang came to realize just how serious Jerome was about her. Slowly the girl grew stronger with Jerome’s care and learned to take care of herself.

    Jerome was still there, still being kind and she still saw him as her savior. She began developing a feeling of love and care for Jerome, something everyone noticed. But she didn’t go out like the others. Jerome never liked the thought of her being out in the open again. He was afraid she’d be taken away from him and he would not have that.

**♠♦♥♣**

**GCPD…**

    Gordon had no leads, the phone was practically useless. It had no numbers just more pictures of Jerome and y/n. Every picture only made things worse for the girl always seemed to be in pain or in terror. Jerome was probably torturing her in every aspect possible.

    Jim had talked to her parents again recently. They didn’t really seem worried. They just think she probably killed her boyfriend and ran off. Or that she found someone else and that her ex just had an unfortunate accident. The lack of concern wasn’t the best but he had to ask them some questions anyway.  

    But when Jim wasn’t busy with another case he was back at his desk. Y/n’s disappearance was more of his own side project than an actual ongoing investigation. The people don’t really care much about someone going missing.

“We should have just taken that laughing maniac in when we had the chance. We probably would have found her by now.” Harvey said.

“Yea, we probably would have found her… _ dead _ .” Jim said.

“How do you even know she’s alive right now. He could have killed her already and just used those pictures as leverage.”

“She’s alive, I know it.”

“Then maybe I could help.”

    Nygma had come over to their desk and was happily standing by them.

“Have you found something? “Jim asked.

“I believe so. The contents of the phone are useless but the phone itself has all the clues.”

“No riddles please.” Harvey said.

“Right. Well I found some soil on the phone and…”

“Soil, really that’s the best you got.”

“Let him finish Harv.” Jim said.

    Nygma just smiled at Jim. “The soil is actually compost, meaning it’s been around farmland. There are a bunch of abandoned farms on the outskirts of Gotham. It’s possible y/n could be held up in one of them.”

“Thanks Nygma, now come on let’s get going.” Jim said.

“We’re gonna follow that lead?”

“It’s the only one we got and it’s something. Let’s go, it won’t take long to check it out.”

“Yea and maybe we’ll get lucky.”

    They did get lucky but not in the way they wanted. When they were inspecting a third abandoned farm house they found something. Written on the walls in the basement there was a message.

_ ‘You’re a little too late detectives. -J’ _

    It was unsettling but at least they were on to something. Jim called this in so forensic examiners could inspect the area and maybe find other clues.

“Still think she’s alive?” Harvey asked.

“Yes.”

**♠♦♥♣**

    The maniaxs keep to themselves most of the time. Sometimes Theo would have something special for them to do, other times they caused their own chaos.

    On one occasion when Jerome got back from burning some stuff he found y/n asleep. He sat by the edge of the bed and lightly ran his fingers down her cheek. He liked watching her sleep, she looked so peaceful and by then all the marks and bruises had disappeared. She was flawless in his eyes.

    But he’d seen reports about her. How she’s missing and the GCPD are looking for leads. Her parents even had the audacity to show actual concern for their daughter. It was all a lie, nobody really cared about her or cared that she was missing. He cared, he cared about her and he wasn’t gonna let anyone take her from him.

    After a little while Jerome left the room to let her sleep. When he closed the door he noticed Barbara sitting across the room reading a magazine. But she spoke up when he appeared.

“Kill her parents.” She said.

“Huh?”

“Kill her parents.” She repeated. “It’s obvious you like her and she likes you. You’ve been taking care of her and helping her recover. Don’t you want her to be free?”

“Of course I do.”

“Then kill her parents. I’ve killed my parents, you’ve done it too. You know how liberating it is. So set her free.”

“Why do you even care about her?” Jerome questioned.

“She’s a good girl or at least she looked that way. You’ve saved her from a life of abuse but she can be more than a survivor with your help and mine. But she doesn’t need anyone holding her back. So the sooner you get rid of whatever ‘parents’ she has the better.”

Jerome smirked. “I know but all in good time, patience is important here. I’ll free her when she’s ready.”


	3. Chapter 3

    It was a big surprise when Jerome said he was taking you out. You never left the house, you weren’t supposed to, it wasn’t safe to leave. But Jerome would be with you so it would be safe, as long as you’re with him you’re safe.

You rode in this big fancy car with Jerome. It was nice to see the city streets again but you knew how dangerous they were. Even if you were in the car you were still a little scared to be outside. You reached over and grabbed Jerome’s hand. He held your hand and lightly squeezed it to reassure you that you were safe.

“Where are we going?” You asked.

“I’ve got a special little present for you.”

    You really wanted to know where he was taking you but if it was a surprise then you’d just have to wait. There was quiet a lot you didn’t understand from him. Even though you spent time with him you didn’t really know who had broken him out of Arkham but they must be rich.

    The car drove through the city and you got to see the tall buildings but then it went into the dark parts. The places where you shouldn’t be around at night or else you probably wouldn’t see morning. After a few hours of driving the car stopped.

Jerome got out first and then went over to your side and opened the door for you. He gave the driver some instructions and then he left. You two were standing outside some old shady looking building. It felt familiar in some way but you just didn’t know how.

“Shall we?” He asked and held his hand out to you.

    You smiled and took his hand. He lead you inside the building and spoke with the man at the front desk. It was an apartment building, maybe you were visiting Jerome’s dad or something, maybe Jerome was going to kill him.

    Jerome took you upstairs and things were starting to feel more familiar to you. You stopped in front of one of the doors and Jerome knocked. Some footsteps were heard from inside. Then a lady opened the door…your mom.

“Y/n? Is that you.”

    You remained speechless, how did Jerome know where they lived, why did he bring you here. Just then Jerome pulled out a gun and hit your mom across the face with it. He walked into the house and found your dad watching TV. He yelled at Jerome for barging in but he got shot in the shoulder.

“Jerome what are you doing?” You asked, fearing for the worse.

“Nothing much sweety.” He went over to you. “Just take a seat and then we’ll get started.”

“Get started with what?”

“You’ll see.”

    Jerome sat you down on the couch and got to work. He closed the door and locked it. Then he dragged your mom into the living room and tied her to one of the chairs from the kitchen table. He did the same with your dad and had them placed in front of you.

“Are you gonna kill them Jerome?” You asked, your voice shaking.

“Oh no sweetheart,  _ we _ are.”

    He got you up on your feet and placed a knife in your hand. You held it and he moved behind you. Your hand was shaking a bit and he put his over yours to help steady you.

“Jerome…I…I can’t do this.” You said.

“Of course you can, you’ll feel great, I promise.”

“No…I…can’t.”

    He made a pouty face but then moved your hand closer to your dad’s face. As he guided your movements the tip of the knife dug into his cheek. A drop of blood slid down his face and your eyes started to water.

“Jerome.” You pleaded.

“Sh, let me ask you something. Does your dad love you, and answer honestly.”

“N…no…” You said.

    As you mumbled out your answer Jerome dragged your hand and the knife down your dad’s cheek. Then he stopped around his collar bone.

“Did daddy ever treat you right.”

“No…he…he beat me.”

    The knife cut down a bit before going back up and making a ‘v’ shape. Then Jerome moved over and had you pointing the knife at your mom.

“Does mommy love you?”

“…no…” You answered.

    This time he guided your hand and stabbed your mom in the neck. He did it again and again a few more times before letting you go. Your clothes had blood on them and you weren’t moving.

“How did that feel?” He asked.

“Okay.” You responded sounding numb.

    You couldn’t move your eyes away from your mother’s corpse. Your dad on the other hand was screaming but it was muffled by the gag. You…you had just killed your mom, the woman who had watched your abuse for years.

    Slowly your gaze turned towards your dad. He was still screaming behind the gag and he was pleading with his eyes. Your grip on the knife got tighter and you raised it up. You could see the fear in his eyes.

    You stabbed him in his chest near his neck. You pulled out the knife and stabbed him again near the same place. Then you stabbed his heart. You twisted the blade till your dad’s body went limp then you pulled out the knife.

    You held it in your hand but slowly that rush of adrenaline faded. You realized the knife covered in blood and you realized your hands were covered in blood. You screamed and dropped the knife. Jerome grabbed you and embraced you in a hug.

“It’s okay, you did great. They won’t hurt you anymore, no one will.”

“I…I killed them…”

“They nearly killed you.”

“But…I…”

“You’ll get it soon, after this low feeling passes.”

    You were crying into his shirt as he hugged you. You were still trying to process what had happened when there was a knock on the door. Jerome held you tighter and politely asked you to quiet down.

“We have to go now.”

    He took your hand and lead you out the back door. You could still hear the knocking but when you heard the door burst open Jerome ran. He pulled you along as you ran down the stairs. Instead of going through the front you went out the back.

“Jerome where are we going?” You asked, having regained some of your voice.

“The car’s waiting for us in the other alley. We’re going home.”

“Did I just kill my parents.”

“Yes. Did you have fun.”

“...a bit.”

“See, you never needed them.”

    As you ran down the alley someone appeared at the other end. You weren’t sure who it was but Jerome knew.

“Detective Bullock am I right.”

“Let her go.”

    The other guy had a gun and was aiming it at Jerome. You tried to step in front of Jerome to protect him but he only pushed you back.

“I thought we’ve been over this. She’s mine.”

“She’s not property you psycho. Just turn yourself in.”

“Jerome he’s going to shoot you.” You said.

“He won’t.”

“But…”

    You knew Gotham, the police weren’t exactly fair. This guy would shoot Jerome down leaving you to grieve then report it as an accident. He was always kind to you and you wanted to return the favor. You stood in front of Jerome.

“What are you doing y/n?” He asked.

“Helping. You’ve got to run.”

“I’m not leaving you.”

“His partner might come, please you have to go.”

“I’m not…”

“Jerome it will be okay.”

    You noticed he had another knife so you grabbed it. Then you quickly cut Jerome’s chest. He screamed and you pushed him back. He stumbled back looking at you in disbelief. The only way he would leave if he was hurt.

“Go.” You said.

“Y/n?”

“Just go I’ll be okay.”

    Jerome admired you and slowly backed away. You were pleading with him to get going, to run, tears stung your eyes. You didn’t want him to leave but he needed to get away. As he moved away the detective realized his motives.

“Stay where you are Jerome.”

“I’ll come get you.” Jerome said. “I promise.”

“I know you will.” You said your voice cracking.

    He took in some deep breaths before turning around and running. The detective fired off his gun but you needed to do something. You looked down at the knife and without thinking twice, dragged it across your throat. You had done it before at other points but never deep enough.

    The sight of you bleeding made the detective stop shooting and he turned his attention to you. He held your head down and mumbled about how Jerome was crazy. In truth if you were taken into police custody Jerome would probably never be able to see you again.

    And if you were with the police they’d use you against him, you couldn’t let that happen. Dark spots started to fill your vision and you could only smile. The detective was trying to keep you awake but you weren’t listening. Jerome would forgive you for this and maybe in another life you’d see him again. Your eyes closed and you fell into darkness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There will be another chapter so don't panic


	4. Chapter 4

_     Not deep enough _ . You woke up later in a hospital bed with bandages wrapped around your neck. You could hear the machines beeping and as you regained your senses you felt the needle in your arm. There was too much light in the room so you kept your eyes shut but you could hear voices.

“What’s going on with her?” a voice asked.

“This isn’t really stockholm syndrome. She wouldn’t have tried to kill herself.” a female voice responded.

“But she killed her parents.”

“Jerome probably forced her to do it.”

“This sounds like Barbara all over again.”

    Jerome…the name was ringing a bell but you couldn’t quiet figure out why. You tried opening your eyes but the lights still hurt so you kept them closed. That was a mistake since the people in the room noticed you were awake.

    There voices got quiet and even if you couldn’t see them you knew they were staring at you. You didn’t like the feeling so you tried again and opened your eyes. It took a bit but your eyes adjusted and you saw detective Gordon.

“Hey, how are you feeling.” he asked.

    You ignored him. You didn’t want to talk to him or anyone else for that matter, all you had to do was be silent and patient. Jerome would find you and then everything would go back to normal.

“She won’t wanna talk Jim.” the lady in the room said. “She just woke up. We should leave.”

    He remained staring at you as if he could get something from a look but eventually he gave up. He sighed and left the room with the lady. Now you were alone and quiet honestly afraid. Without Jerome around…you weren’t safe without him and you had no idea where you were.

    Without a clock, time didn’t seem to exist for you. Doctors came by to examine you, nurses brought you food but through it all you stayed silent. After who knows how long Jim returned and you were taken to the police station.

    By then your wound had already healed leaving only a small scar. You needed to be interrogated but you were uncooperative. Jim tried to talk with you first but got nothing, then Harvey tried. You remained silent in the interrogation room.

**♠♦♥♣**

“I don’t understand why she won’t talk.” Harvey said.

“She’s scared.” Leslie said.

“Of what? Us?”

“Yes.”

“How.”

“She was in an abusive relationship before she meet Jerome. He got her out of it. She probably sees him as her protector, she won’t just give him up.”

“Then you talk to her.” Jim said.

“No way.” Harvey added.

“It’s our best chance right now. Maybe she can get through to her.”

“It wouldn’t hurt.” Leslie said.

    Harvey just put his hands up and walked away. He said something about going to get coffee and grabbed his jacket. Leslie smiled at Jim and they went over to the interrogation room.

“If anything bad happens just remember I’m right outside.” Jim said.

“Don’t worry so much.”

    Leslie walked into the interrogation room. Her presence surprised the girl since she probably wasn’t expecting someone like her. Leslie sat down across from her and did her best to seem friendly.

“Hi.” Leslie said but got no response. “I’m doctor Leslie Thompkins and I was wondering if you could answer a few questions.”

    She waited for a bit but it was obvious the girl wasn’t gonna answer. Leslie could try to talk with her like a cop but she knew that if she wanted answers she’d have to do this her own way.

“Look I know you’re scared right now but no one here is going to hurt you.”

“That’s not true.”

Leslie was a bit taken back when she answered, “And why not?”

“The GCPD is full of corruption. I’m not safe here or on the streets of Gotham.”

“Then where are you safe.”

“With Jerome.”

“And where is he?”

“Who knows.”

“You don’t know where he is? Do you know where you’ve been for the past weeks.”

“Safe. In Jerome’s home, wherever that is.”

“Alright then.”

    Leslie stood up and left the room. Soon Jim was by her side. Jim wasn’t sure what to make of her words but know they knew that she didn’t know anything.

“What do we do now?” Jim asked.

“You get her somewhere safe. Jerome’s already messed with her mind, he’ll probably find some way to get to her.”

    That started to give Jim an idea but Leslie immediately knew what.

“Jim you can’t use her in anyway as bait. He took her and cared for her, if you try to use her it will only upset him and he will get violent.”

“I know but our police can’t protect her, not here in Gotham. So we’re gonna have to get her out of the city.”

“And how do you plan on doing that if you don’t trust your fellow officers.”

“I might have to ask Penguin for a small favor.”


	5. Chapter 5

    Jim didn’t want to ask Penguin for help but he knew he needed it. He was still technically a friend so getting some alone time with him proved to be no problem. Now he quietly sat at a dining table with the King of Gotham.

“It’s good to see you Jim.“ Oswald said. “But I’m sure this isn’t a simple visit.”

“I need your help.”

“I figured. Does this have anything to do with that redheaded psycho’s girlfriend?”

“You know about her?”

“I don’t like that boy going around reeking havoc on my city. Of course I’d know everything about him, but what is it that you need old friend.”

“She’s not safe in Gotham and I need her to be moved out of the city.”

“That’s not a good idea either.”

“What makes you say that?” Jim asked.

“Why isn’t she safe in Gotham?”

“Jerome will most likely becoming for her, the GCPD can’t keep her safe, I can’t trust anyone with that task.”

“And you believe she’ll be safer outside of Gotham, where she will be even further from your reach.”

“I-”

“I can help you Jim, but getting her out of Gotham is not your best idea. I’ll keep her here in my castle for you.”

“Penguin-”

“It’s what’s best for her.”

Jim knew Penguin was right but he also knew there was more to it. Friend or not Penguin had his own goals and plans. Leaving y/n in his care could turn out to be worse, but he needed to take that chance.

“What do you want?” Jim asked.

“Jim please, having the company of y/n is enough for me. I’d love to meet a girl like her, find out what her appeal to this mad boy is.”

“Oswald-”

“I have no bad intentions for her. I know she’ll safe here and you know it too.”

Jim thought for a second. “I’ll bring her by later, but you keep quiet about her being here.”

“I promise barely anyone will know.”

**♠♦♥♣**

    Silence was your best friend. You spoke to no one and didn’t question when Jim decided to cuff you and place you back into a police car. You concluded that you were being moved somewhere more secure, but where you were taken was completely unexpected.

    You didn’t move to another station or out of town. He took you to some house. He kept you close as you walked through the house, guards surrounding you on all sides. Eventually you came to this dining room and Jim had you sit down. There was another man at the table.

“Hello there.” The other man said.

You didn’t answer. You still had no idea why you were there but you knew who the other man was. The King of Gotham.

“Word can’t get out that she’s here Penguin.” Jim said.

“There’s barely anyone here who even knows who she is. I’ll keep her out of sight, just one question. How long will she be staying.”

“I can’t say. We need to have Jerome behind bars first before she’s safe.”

“I understand. Don’t worry about her. She’ll be a wonderful guest.”

    Jim didn’t stay long after that. He seemed to trust Penguin with your safety and he surely had other places to be. The detective removed your cuffs and left you with Mr. Cobblepot. His men set the table and you were treated to dinner.

“So why don’t you tell me about yourself.” Cobblepot said but you didn’t talk. “Don’t be afraid sweetheart. You’re safe-”

You quickly grabbed the knife on the table and made a move towards Penguin. His men stopped you as you held the knife inches from his eyes.

“Don’t you dare ever call me sweetheart again. You don’t get to call me that and I’m not safe, not without him.”

“My, my, I see he’s done a number on you, hasn’t he.”

The men who had stopped you ripped the knife from your hands and pushed you back in your seat.

“I admire your bravery but something like that can’t go unpunished.”

    The word made you shake. Your body began to ache from phantom pain and you could feel the tears building up. You wrapped your arms around yourself and tried to become as small as possible.

“Please take our lovely guest here to her room. I suppose she won’t be having dinner tonight.”

    The same men who had grabbed you before placed their hands on you again. You flinched at their touched and jumped out of your seat. You screamed and backed away but these men kept going after you. You began to cry and your legs gave out.

You fell to the floor and tried crawling away but these guys wouldn’t stop. You hit the wall and then they pulled you up to your feet. They dragged you out of the room. You tried to hit them to let you go but they were much stronger than you.

They carried you to wherever your room was. You didn’t bother trying to remember the way out. You weren’t safe anywhere. When you got to your room you were thrown on the bed and then you heard the door get slammed shut and locked. You quickly got off the bed and started banging on the door.

“Jerome!” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This isn't over, I promise.


	6. Chapter 6

It was rather lonely. After that incident with dinner you didn’t see Oswald. You were kept in the room, different guards bringing you food. It wasn’t good but it was edible. Maybe it had been a mistake to try to attack Cobblepot but you didn’t see it that way. If he hated you enough maybe he’d throw you out but that wasn’t the case.

Escaping was the most important thing, but it was practically impossible. The windows were locked tight with bars on the outside. The door leading to your room was locked and there’s no doubt about guards in the hallway that would stop you. You fought, you were a nuisance at first, but eventually you gave up.

It was scary to be alone again and you dearly missed Jerome. You didn’t have a clock so the only way to tell the time was looking out the window. When you weren’t sleeping you sat by the window looking out at the sky. It was nice when the sunlight hit you but you desperately wanted to be outside.

Being looked up wasn’t bad when you were with Jerome. At least there was something to look forward to, now it was just solitude. Like you finally ended up where your parents said you would, prison. The food you got, three times a day, also helped tell the time, but eventually you lost track of how many days you had been in that room.

You were staring at the clouds when he door opened and a guard escorted you out. They took you back to the dining hall you had first been in. The table was empty and Penguin was nowhere to be seen. There were still guards around you but none spoke. You knew there was no pointing in asking questions too.

After a bit one of the guards turned on the TV. You watched him but as soon as Jerome appeared on screen your eyes were glued on him. He had some hostages and was talking about a ransom, a ransom for you. You couldn’t help but smile. It had been so long and you feared he had forgotten but here he was, wanting you back.

You were giggling from excitement. You couldn’t wait to see what he did next, but things didn’t turn out the way you wished. There were sounds of gunfire off in the distance and Jerome looked worried. Before you knew it people in masks came on screen, and they weren’t the GCPD. You got up, but were immediately shoved back down in your seat.

You were forced to watch as these men gunned down everyone in that room, including Jerome. You screamed and thrashed, the TV getting shut off. Emotions grew and mixed inside you, you had no idea what to feel. Your happiness was destroyed by anger, but also great sadness. You wanted to cry, but you wanted to scream as well. There was too much to think about.

You managed to break free of the guard holding you and ran towards the door. You weren’t looking so you crashed into someone, Penguin. Guards grabbed you and sat you down again. This time you stopped fighting. You were tired of fighting and could barely keep yourself from sobbing. 

“And Gotham is now a much better place with that red head gone.”

“Did you...did you kill him! Did you have him killed!”

“Gotham needs to know he’s dead.”

“You killed him!” 

You wanted to kill him, use the rage but you were more hurt than anything. You fell to the floor, tears flowing down your cheeks like a river. This wasn’t fair, after everything that has happened, the one good thing had, ripped away.

“Don’t cry sweetie.” 

You looked up and through the blur of tears you saw Jerome standing over you. You gently reached over to touch him. He was real and you didn’t know how to feel. He looked down at you with a smile and helped you to your feet, hugging you.

“You...I saw..”

You buried your head in his chest, just crying. He held you close, rocking you back and forth in his arms. He whispered how everything was gonna be ok and that you were safe. You held onto him tightly, fearing that if you let go he’d disappear.

“You are rather cruel Penguin.” Jerome said.

“I wanted to see how she’d react. It was rather genuine.” 

“That’s enough now. You got what you wanted, so-”

“Yes, yes, get out of my city, and don’t ever come back. If you do, I won’t be so nice.”

“It was...not so nice knowing you.”

You weren’t really listening to the conversation before you. All you realized now was that Jerome was pushing you towards the door. Everything was a bit of a blur but you followed anyway, still holding him tight.

You made your way out and got into a car with Jerome. He wasn’t talking much but looking down at you with a smile. It took you a bit before you calmed down enough to talk.

“What...what’s going on? I saw you on...on the TV...you..”

“Sh, sweetheart, it’s okay.” He said.

“Jerome please...tell me what’s going on, I’m freaking out here.”

“Penguin doesn’t like me, and he had you. He called, told me he wanted me to leave Gotham. We made a deal, recorded some fun games and here we are.”

“So...we’re leaving Gotham?” You asked.

“Just the two of us. We’ll see where we go from there.”

You hugged him tight, silent tears still on your face. Everything was moving so fast but what mattered was that you were with Jerome. As long as you were with him, you’d be safe.

**♠♦♥♣**

The GCPD was running all over the place trying to figure out what just happened. The video feed of Jerome came on and then the attack. It took a moment but the second that video went down Jim rushed out the door. Harvey followed behind.

“Where are you going?”

“To see Penguin. If Jerome is dead we need to check in on y/n.”

Jim and Harvey both went over to Penguin’s place. Of course he didn’t want any guests but Jim pushed his way. He wasn’t in a mood to play nice, not after everything happened.

“Where is she Penguin.?” Jim asked.

“Jim. As much as I enjoy your company, I would appreciate it if you call or give me a heads up.”

“Where is she Penguin!?”

“Who?”

“Y/n!”

“Oh, she’s gone.” Penguin said.

“Gone? How? Did she escape? Did you let her go?”

“Yes. I did let her go.”

“You...she doesn’t like going anywhere without...is Jerome really dead? Did you do something!”

“That redhead was a problem for Gotham, I dealt with him. He can be someone else’s problem.”

“You let her go with-”

Jim ran back outside, ignoring Harvey’s words of question. He looked around. You were gone, long gone. You were safe.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This took forever to finish, so I apologies. Hope you enjoyed and if you're interested I will be writing another self-insert story with Jerome. Different story line and this other one including the Mad Hatter. Keep a look out for Ballerina.


End file.
